


Day One Hundred Twenty-Nine || Waterfall

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [129]
Category: Naruto, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 11:09:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18777064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: Waterfalls are a reminder of just how powerful - and dangerous - water can be. Something Hinata still struggles to come to terms with as a mage of the element.





	Day One Hundred Twenty-Nine || Waterfall

As evening falls, the party is silent save for the quiet rustling of horse tack and the clatter of hooves, soft knickers exchanged between their mounts. Descending into a valley, they tread through as werelights hover over their heads, provided by the lux mage who leads the way.

Slowly but surely, a new noise - and a new feeling - gets closer the farther they go. Minutes pass before they break through the trees and find a river fed by a tumbling waterfall. Its roar fills the air, rattling the ground nearby.

“...we’ll camp here for the night,” their guide announces, turning her grey mare to address them. “I’ll scout out a perimeter and take first watch.”

“It’s not  _ that _ late,” Sasuke counters. “It’s only this dark now because of the high valley walls.”

Considering that, she looks to Itachi, who shrugs his shoulders. “...all right. We’ll rest a bit first. But the sooner we sleep, the earlier we can rise.”

The group dismounts, well-versed by now in setting up camp. Hinata gathers firewood, using magic to draw any remaining moisture from the wood. Sasuke then lights it, the lot of them pitching up tents and unpacking their bedrolls. By the time they’ve finished, the sky above is dark and peppered with stars. The lux mage excuses herself for her scouting, and Itachi - weary, as always - turns in early along the rim of the firelight.

Sasuke makes to sit, but realizes he’s now alone. A glance around shows that Hinata (and her accompanying werelight) have moved closer to the falls. Nervous with them spreading out, he glances to his brother before making to follow.

Up she stares at the tumbling, frothing water with bright eyes despite the late hour. “Isn’t it beautiful…?” she breathes, clearly in awe.

“I guess so.”

“One of the best displays of water’s power. Nothing to the rage of the ocean, but...hear how it r-roars! It shakes the ground!”

Amused, Sasuke gives a short snort. “Think you’ll ever wield water that powerful?”

For a moment longer, she gazes up at the falls. Then Hinata’s eyes lower. “...I hope I never need to.”

That sobers Sasuke’s own expression. “I hope not either, but it may very well happen. Isn’t that why you asked me to train you in ven?”

“...yes and no. I  _ do _ want to master my element. But…” A soft sigh escapes her. “...I suppose...I wanted m-most to feel close to my mother. To my element. I know that water can be mighty. It can drown, and destroy. But...I don’t want it to have to come to that.”

“Still better to be prepared. If it never happens...so be it. But if a conflict arises, you have to be ready, Hinata. Water wears at stone - beats down cliffs, cools lava, carves riverbeds. It isn’t timid. So neither should you be.” Sasuke’s arms cross over his chest. “If someone intends to kill you, you can no longer let your morals stand in your way. Because they won’t matter if you’re dead.”

That earns a flinch. “...I know.”

Watching her a moment longer, Sasuke then looks to the waterfall. “The falls don’t apologize for falling. The river for running. The ocean for ebbing and flowing its tides. When a wildfire sweeps over the land, it destroys the old, and makes way for the new. We can’t fight the nature of our elements. I can sear, and you can drown. It doesn’t have to be  _ all _ we do...but it is part of us. Shying from it won’t make that any less true.”

“I know!”

He glances to her spark of temper.

Hands curled to fists at her side, Hinata stares at the base of the water. “...I know. I’m...I’m trying not to flinch. But sometimes...sometimes it  _ does _ scare me…!” Her admission is given in a hushed tone, glancing to him with uncensored eyes. “When we fled our coastal city...when my mother turned back to buy us time...I...I  _ saw _ something, Sasuke.”

“...saw what?”

A pause, clearly hesitating. “...I’ve never told anyone this. But my...my mother...she did something  _ strange _ that night. She stopped, and...stood very still. I could see her lips moving. I thought that maybe she’d been praying. Then the enemy came, and she…”

Hand gesture in a vague motion of disbelief. “...her eyes, they...they  _ glowed _ …! Like a sapphire light was born inside her s-skull. And what she did with water...the power…! So many people died. She fought like nothing I’d e-ever seen before. I was young, so...I don’t know if my mother was trained in combat. But the look on my father’s face...he was  _ afraid _ …!”

Arms lift to hug herself, expression pinched with residual anxiety over the memory. “...in the end...she was killed. A terra mage managed to drag her under the earth. But not before she took out nearly everyone that had pursued us. They retreated, and we made it out. But I’ll never forget what I saw that night. How terrifying ven can be.”

Sasuke, stilled during her tale, hesitates. He’s...not sure what to say. “...I’m sorry you had to see that. Losing your mother, I…”

Her head slowly shakes. “...it was a long time ago. If I had been in her shoes, I would have d-done the same. Or at least, I’d have tried. But I still don’t know what she did. What...p-power she awoke. Even her voice didn’t sound her own.”

Brows furrowed, Sasuke shakes his head. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of anything like that before. Maybe my parents would have some inkling…”

“I asked the lux mage, but...she didn’t know either. But she said it sounded vaguely familiar, like something someone told her once i-in a dream. So there  _ has _ to be something to it…!”

“Well...maybe there will be more information once we reach the capital. For now...we’ll keep up whatever training we’ve got time for on the way. Try not to dwell on it, Hinata. Whatever it was...your mother used it to save you. It may have been scary, but even what frightens us can be used for good.”

Looking a bit less unnerved, she nods. “...thank you. And, Sasuke…?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t...tell anyone what I told you. S-something tells me it’s something we should...keep to ourselves.”

“...I won’t. Come on - let’s get back to camp. Best to get some rest.”

“...all right.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tired, so I'll be brief.
> 
> More crossover with my original fantasy verse! And a little more to Hinata's backstory. There is indeed something to what she saw that night, but...I dunno if I'll ever elaborate. Don't wanna give away all my secrets! She has reason to be afraid of it, though - and of course Sasuke does his (gruff) best to help her through.
> 
> Buuut my eyes are screamin', so I better call it a night. Thanks for reading!


End file.
